showcase los angeles issue 662

Sep 2017

Welcome to Showcase Los Angeles, brought to you by Production Paradise. This issue features some of the leading photographers, photo and film production and service companies, location scouts, photo post-production companies, make-up artists, and casting agencies currently working out of Los Angeles.

You can find more creative professionals and facilities for photographic and film production in our Los Angeles Photo and Film directories.

JB5 Productions strives to provide the best production services possible, from inception to completion with national and international agencies and clients. JB5 has offices in Phoenix, AZ, Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA with the ability to manage shoots anywhere.

John and his team have developed a vast network of contacts from across the globe. Their ability to collaborate with photographers, creative directors, art producers and crew members has provided JB5 Productions with many repeat customers.

Paige Dorian Productions is a full service production company based in Los Angeles. Managing productions all over the US, the company's philosophy is simple; take care of every detail effectively, so the creatives can be free to create.

Devi Brulé is a multi-award-winning American director from a misty island in the Pacific Northwest. She directs commercials, branded content, fashion films, and narratives, always with an eye for the magical moments that give a film its heartbeat.

Her fashion film 'Euphoria' captures the grandeur of nature’s most secluded and majestic worlds, and recently won two coveted Davey Awards, as well as Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and an Audience Choice Award on the festival circuit.

From food to fragrances, she brings a sense of adventure to her work in both content and process, creating worlds that are rich and emotional, always with a strong visual aesthetic.

She created the branded series 'Katalyst HQ' for Ashton Kutcher, directing episodes that also starred Jason Bateman, Gary Busey and Kim Kardashian. As show-runner, she oversaw brand integration for Cheetos and Hot Pockets, driving hundreds of thousands of views.

Shoot It Productions and Casting®, LLC executes photo shoot projects locally and in exotic, remote locations, to the exacting standards of each individual client.

Located in Los Angeles, California but with a national reach, Shoot It Productions provide 360° production services that include art buying, model/talent casting, permitting and location services. Clients include GapInc., Banana Republic, JD Sports, James Perse, and Fruit of the Loom, to name a few.

With 15+ years' experience and the highest standards, the company's boutique-style philosophy ensures prompt attention to the details. "Whether it’s filling the gaps within your in-house team or overall production, we will help in any capacity, focusing on achieving all objectives effortlessly."

Zaffarano Productions is a full service production company based in Los Angeles. "With a vast range of production experience from car and motorcycle, motion and still hybrid shoots to library, pharma, editorial, advertising, celebrity and animal shoots, from coast to coast there's nothing we can’t handle!

Due to our love of detail, communication, uncompromising standards, problem solving and teamwork, our goal is to make every production feel effortless to our photographers, agencies and clients. We strive to create a happy work environment which then creates a collaborative space to get the job done.

Striking visuals, strong characters and heroic expressions would be the key words describing the photography of Hristo Shindov. Capturing the character of a vehicle in motion or a human in emotion is a challenge that he takes up every day.

On the less glamorous side of the business, he manages logistics, locations, pretentious talent and time with ease and most of all gets it done, no exceptions.

Being able to connect with a variety of subjects, from celebrities to real life people to vehicles, have attracted the attention of industry giants such as Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Sony, Converse, Newell Rubbermaid, StanleyBlack and Decker and many others.

Patrick Curtet is a French photographer and director based in sunny Los Angeles and who flies all over the world. He likes to create high-end visuals around cars, lifestyle and fashion with his highly recognizable cinematographic style. For each client or series, he seeks to tell a story.

Raf Willems is an award-winning photographer from Belgium, currently working in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Specialised in advertising, portrait, lifestyle, aerial and corporate photography, Raf brings 20 years of experience to every shoot. He loves the collaborative process of working with people - not only the ones in front of his camera, but also his clients.

Surrounded by a network of multi-lingual professionals, location scouts, casting directors, make-up artists and retouchers, Raf can set up the perfect production team to meet every requirement.

Recognised for the natural window-light quality of his images, and with a knack for making even the prickliest subjects feel at ease, Joe Schmelzer’s work has appeared in every major interiors-centric magazine, website and blog.

Editotial clients include House Beautiful, Elle Decor and The Wall Street Journal. Joe’s ability to help clients achieve their own creative vision has also made him a sought-after commercial photographer for high-profile brands including Sub-Zero/Wolf Appliances, TheDorchesterHotelCollection and One KingsLane.

Joe, his long-time partner Nick, and their canine companions Parker and Moose now make their home-office in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. Lately, Joe has expanded his still photo work to also include full production video. All aspects of photo/video projects are handled through his independently owned company, Treasurbite Studio, Inc.

Splitting her time between photo productions for Red Bull and taking on her many freelance portrait, lifestyle, and music photography jobs, Kelly Elaine has been busy recently.

Her favourite career moment in the last six months was when she was notified that her portrait story of Leon Bridges was a winner in PDN's 2017 Ultimate Music Moment contest. Music has always been a major component of Kelly's life, so gaining a record label like Capitol Records as a client and working with amazing talent has really been a dream come true.

After studying photography and art history at FIT and Syracuse University, Jamaican-born photographer Michael Rowe worked behind the scenes in celebrity syndication at premier agencies such as Corbis-Outline and Contour by Getty Images.

During this time, Michael developed a keen eye for fashion and beauty and an expertise in the art of celebrity portraiture. He has photographed some of the top names in the entertainment industry, including Naomi Campbell, LL Cool J, Laverne Cox, Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Chaka Khan, Spike Lee, Janelle Monáe, Angela Bassett, Robin Roberts, Kelly Rowland and Gabrielle Union.

Michael’s work is effortless, vibrant and engaging. With his great personality and sense of humour, he immediately lights up a room. His client list includes Netflix, Coca-Cola, Warner BrothersMusic, ESSENCE, Colgate, TheWrap, The Advocate and General Motors.

Chris Fortuna:
Los Angeles fashion photographers

Chris Fortuna is a fashion and celebrity photographer based in Los Angeles. Born in Boston, he began photographing at a young age and moved to New York City to study photography and fine art at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His early education was transformed by learning and assisting for some of the old-world photography masters, including Helmut Newton, Paolo Roversi and Richard Avedon.

Working in both the editorial and advertising fields, Chris describes his style and influence as "the modern example of the classic image, defined by beauty and light." Currently, his work is focused on stills and motion, capturing and defining the ideas of "real beauty" and "the visual link between subject and artist."

When not working on either coast, Chris likes to spend time attempting to go fast on two wheels.

"2017 has been so far a very intense and exciting year. I’m thrilled to share some of my latest work.

EmmyMagazine hired me to shoot behind-the-scenes of NBC-Universal's 'American Ninja Warrior' and accompanying portraits of the Ninjas. I worked again for California Moonrise Apparel’s new collection in Palm Springs and the iconic Frisbee inventor brand, Wham-O hired me to shoot their new collection of Slip and Slide and Toys. A new video and stills lifestyle campaign has been my latest project. Looking forward to more creative assignments in 2017."

Glen Wexler is a photographer and director best known for his elaborately staged digital photo-compositions of improbable situations.

The music industry discovered Glen when he was a student, and he created hundreds of album covers before turning 30, working with artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Van Halen.

Legendary ad man Ed McCabe brought Glen into the world of advertising for the reboot of the iconic Maxell campaign in the early 90s. He has since worked on countless award-winning campaigns for international brands such as Acura, Adobe, Allstate, CapitalOne, Epson, Electronic Arts, Jeep, Nokia, Pepsi, Samsung and Sony.

Based in Los Angeles and with a world-class production team, Glen seamlessly integrates film direction with print assignments, offering creative solutions and visual continuity across multiple platforms.

Glen has been profiled in photoshop.com, Communication Arts, Creativity, French PHOTO, Digital Photo Pro, Zoom and many other leading publications.

Shane Lopes is a commercial advertising photographer based in downtown Los Angeles. He started the year by shooting numerous campaigns for companies ranging from casinos to breweries to fashion retailers. In the past three months alone, he has been fortunate enough to see his work on billboards, magazines and publications around the world.

After graduating from Brooks Institute with his BFA in Photography and taking some time to soak in the sunshine and palm trees, Shane has been able to refine his stylistic look through his use of bold colours, dynamic lighting and unique character expression.

Fueled by his thirst for exceptional imagery, few photographers can match the energy and passion that Shane puts in to the production and creation of every project he works on.

Sean Rice offers a unique perspective when it comes to his photography. Rather than capture what he sees, he loves to create directly from his mind's eye. Working with an art director or leading a creative team, he loves bringing a concept to life.

Born and raised in Southern California, Michael Scott Slosar took his first photography course in 7th grade and didn't stop there. After attending Northern Arizona University and Brooks Institute of Photography, he moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2002 to pursue his career.

Michael loves to travel and be on the go and gets restless if he stays in one place for too long. This is why he currently splits his time between NY and CA. Michael wishes the world was still film and Polaroid and believes film is the new vinyl. He loves anything vintage, "classic", and/or antique and never misses a good BBQ!

Tony Perez RV Productions has been on many assignments providing dependable professional services in and around Southern California since 2011. Owner/driver Tony has been in the world of professional photography for over 30 years; as a photographer, a photography assistant, and professional productions motorhome driver.

He has worked many of the beaches and deserts from San Francisco to the Mexican border, including locations such as the Pink Hotel Palm Springs, El Mirage Dry Lake, Club Ed and Four Aces in Lancaster, Venice Beach and Yosemite for the likes of UGG boots and many more.

Tony Perez RV has served clients from Japan, Sweden, Turkey, Australia and England along with many local clients. The conveniently sized production motorhome makes it easy to stay low-key and move around town.

Whatever type of assignment, from fashion to music videos, car shoots or short films, Tony Perez RV will provide outstanding services.

Ken Brown (Die Kool Prod.) is a digital tech based in Los Angeles and San Francisco with 13+ years of experience in the industry.

A self-certified geek, he spent most of his childhood indoors playing with and building computers. Now a full-grown adult, he has worked on every kind of shoot: from luxury automobiles to adorable, drooling babies in places such as Tokyo to Hawaii.

Full digital packages including Hasselblad/Phase and RED equipment are available for rent, in addition to some grip.